nothings sweeter than summertime

What in the heck is a caper? Well thank you for asking… I think it is a pickled seed? Or some part of a plant that is pickled and vinegar-y and goodness. And when I went to buy them the other day, I was reminiscing on how much my eating palate has changed since I was little. When I was younger I used to tell people I was allergic to coconut, but let me tell you about Trader Joes new coconut chocolate ice cream, it will change your life. It is that good. I also used to eat capers, solo. I’d just grab a spoon, and the jar, and go to town. Not normal. The only cheese I used to eat was cheddar, but let me tell you about brie with fig butter. Or some feta on top of a salad can just make your salad 100 times better. Real talk. You think coffee is only drinkable blended with sugar water? Think again, black and hand poured is tasty and good hot or iced. I think it is important to try new things, I mean activity things obviously, but food too. I hear it takes the 8 times of trying something to start really enjoying it. So if you cannot eat capers with a spoon just yet, or don’t find brie and feta as fascinating as I do, try tasting them 8 different times. And another recipe for you my friends, original recipe was from www.epicurious.com, but I changed it up. Mhmm summer is too good.

Tasty potato salad

10 gold potatoes

1 bundle of green onions

½ cup finely chopped parsley

2 tbsp. capers (no juice added)

1 package haricot verts (skinny french green bean)

3 tbsp. white wine vinegar

1 tbsp. caper juice (from the caper jar)

2-3 tsp. coarse-grain Dijon mustard

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

Cook potatoes in boiling water until tender, mine took about 20 minutes. Drain potatoes and allow to cool as much as possible before mixing with other vegetables. Steam green beans and set aside to cool. Add chives, parsley, and capers into a large mixing bowl. In a smaller mixing bowl combine: vinegar, caper liquid, mustard, and oil and whisk well. Slice cooled potatoes into small pieces. Mix vegetables in large mixing bowl, add dressing, and toss. Add some salt and pepper to taste.

*tricks*

• add lots of vegetables. fresh ones
• put crazy protein in the salad, on the salad, or on the side. i saw a recipe for one salad that used chorizo
• put garlic in the dressing! i didn't but it would probably be way better with 1-2 cloves minced in the dressing, let's be honest